Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon is the fourth title in the ''Devil Summoner'' series, and the second game starring Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV. It is the direct sequel to Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army and is released for the PlayStation 2. Some considered the North American titling, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon inaccurate as Devil Summoner is not part of the Shin Megami Tensei series, despite carrying elements such as demons that are shared with various titles in the series. The numbering is also considered inaccurate as the title is the fourth in the Devil Summoner lineup, despite being the second game taking place in Raidou Kuzunoha's universe. Plot The game chronologically occurs after its prequel, with Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th again being summoned by the Yatagarasu to protect the Capital of Japan. The Taishō period in Japanese history has been fictionally extended into its 20th year, placing the events of the game in the early 1930s (but with a setting influenced more so by the 1920s). Raidou and his mentor, the talking cat Gouto, are again called upon to protect the prosperity and peace of the Capital by simultaneously working undercover at the Narumi Detective Agency and battling demonic foes using the powers Raidou carries as a Summoner. The story begins when a young woman enters the detective agency and asks Narumi's and Raidou's help in locating a curious man named Dahn. Characters *Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV: The player character, a high school student of Yumizuki High School turned Devil Summoner of the Kuzunoha family. He can confine demons in tubes called kuda (similar to the kanko of Japanese folklore), and use them to battle and to do detective work. Like other Shin Megami Tensei protagonists, he rarely, if ever, speaks. *Gouto-Douji: A black cat with green eyes; he is Raidou's partner and though he sounds a little smug at first, he is actually very concerned about Raidou and his mission. Apparently he has worked with every other Raidou since the second. It is revealed later on that Gouto is Raidou Kuzunoha the first, who placed his soul into a cat's body, after which he made it his duty to keep an eye on all those who inherit his name. *Shouhei Narumi: (Age: 32 (According to the official fanbook)) Owner of the Narumi Detective Agency and Raidou's boss. He is a little lazy and generally lets Raidou do all the hard work. *Tae Asakura: (Age: 22 (According to the official fanbook)) A reporter from newspaper "Capital Daily" (Tokyo is simply referred as "Capital" in the game), Tae is desperately trying to prove to everyone that women have a place in the modern society as working people. Her pen-name "Kichō" comes from Raicho Hiratsuka, a feminist crusader. She hired Narumi and Raidou's talents to investigate the bizarre events in the Capital. *Dahn: Unruly character that Raidou was hired to find. *Akane Narita: The daughter of a diet member who has hired Raidou to locate Dahn. *Geirin Kuzunoha the XVII: One of the four great summoners of the Kuzunoha family. *Nagi: A devil summoner in training. Gameplay Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon features similar gameplay to the previous game, although highly improved. Raidou now fires only one bullet at a time in combat and can fire six rounds before needing to reload (which is now achieved by holding down square). The MP system has been abolished and replaced with a system called the "Magnitite Balancing system". Now demons do not consume Magnitite when summoned, but rather only consume it when they use special abilities or other techniques that would have consumed MP previously. The combat is now faster, and Raidou no longer recruits demons by force, but rather by using demon negotiation, which is more traditional for the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Demon negotiation can be aided by input via other demons in the party or through demon business cards. Additionally, Raidou can now summon two demons at once in combat. As an added bonus, any player with clear data from Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army will gain several bonuses for loading it at the start of the game. The clear data gives Raidou a commemoration item, Summoner's badge, and Explorer's badge. Additionally some demons who had sided with Raidou during the Soulless Army case will rejoin him without negotiation. Another new component to Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon is the addition of Case Files. These are optional side quests that offer various awards. Development Developed and published by Atlus, it was released in Japan on October 23, 2008 in two formats. The standard version included a soundtrack CD, while the limited edition, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon Plus, came packaged with a new version of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne titled Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Maniax Chronicle Edition, which includes a guest appearance by the titular hero, Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV. In January 2009, Atlus U.S.A. announced that an English localization was scheduled for a limited release on May 12, 2009. The game was released in a limited production run that included the game and a Raiho plush toy. Each copy is individually numbered. While Atlus has not announced exactly how many units exist, the highest reported collectors number thus far has been over 40,000. Gallery External links * Official Japanese website * Official North American website Devil Summoner 4 Devil Summoner 4 !